


Amado Mio

by PumpkinDoodles



Series: The Little Orchestra Series [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Remembers, F/M, MarshmallowFluffy, Not Canon Compliant, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-17
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-05-24 10:24:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14952866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PumpkinDoodles/pseuds/PumpkinDoodles
Summary: Darcy Lewis is dating Captain America. At least, she knows she is now. For about a month, she thought she was dating Steve Grant, the really sweet librarian-archaeologist guy in charge of Stark Industries' Antique Weapons Department. She has forgiven him 97% for pretending his interest in WWII was purely academic.Now they need to help his childhood friend Bucky Barnes adjust to life with the Avengers. Tony's forgiven him 100%, but somebody else hasn't: Bucky's about to be framed for the death of the King of Wakanda. It's super lucky he was on the roof of the Tower helping Jane Foster that night and not in, say, Berlin by himself, when the Black Panther comes calling.Sequel to The To-Do List/Part 2 of the Little Orchestra series





	1. Amado Mio (Pink Martini)

**the calm (or lull) before the storm**  
noun: calm before the storm  
1. a period of unusual tranquility or stability that seems likely to presage difficult times.

  
  
  
***

“We leaving at seven-thirty, doll?” Steve Rogers asked Darcy politely. Almost too politely, she thought. He was teasing her. She looked at her phone. It was 7:46.

“Excuse me, I believe you are the one who dated me under false pretenses,” Darcy said to Steve, putting in an earring. “I feel zero obligation to be exactly on time for our first semi-public outing as a couple when I spent three weeks thinking you were an antique weapons librarian, Steve.”

“I thought it was only two and half weeks?” Steve said sweetly. He could do innocent little boy very well. He was leaning against the doorframe of her bedroom in his WWII-era dress uniform, waiting for her. He looked, Darcy could admit to herself, very snazzy. She even liked the way he’d parted his hair and put that stuff in it. Brylcream? Brillantine? What was that stuff called?

“Possibly,” she admitted, flipping her hair back over her shoulder. It was also very cute that Steve was funny about not breaching the threshold of her bedroom yet. They’d only been dating a month and he hadn’t spent the night. He was old-fashioned that way. “Saying you were Steve Grant, the head of the Antique Weaponry Department was pretty clever of Tony, too,” she said. He laughed. Steve Grant was his public alias after the whole DC mess. It was on his credit cards and his SI employee paperwork, so he could he could buy gas for his bike and Clint’s favorite beer without a public scandal or Congressional hearings. She'd thought he just got to hold the shield sometimes. It was romantic that he'd used it as an umbrella for her and Jane once, lie of omission aside.

Literally all their friends had known he was Captain America and kept it secret for a few weeks as a prank. Darcy had already roped in Clint Barton for her future prank revenge--format currently undecided--by leaving him lemon squares in the vents. Whatever she decided, she wanted it to be fun. Maybe involve a confetti cannon. She wanted to rent one of those anyway.

“What are you thinking about?” Steve asked suddenly. “You look very thoughtful.”

“My future revenge against you, you sneaky little nonagenarian, will probably involve confetti,” she said. He grinned.

“Sounds like fun, doll,” he said. He gave her one of those looks he was so good at, that involved a significant and sexy eyebrow arch, yet was still within the realm of plausible deniability. No one ever believed _Captain America_ was saucy. She’d need to ask Bucky if he’d ever dragged Steve to a burlesque show, based on his reaction to the word confetti. She might be looking at man who’d seen Gypsy Rose Lee in person. He did like that Barbara Stanwyck movie based on her life, after all.

“Where’s Bucky?” she asked. Bucky had come back to New York and Steve, a little worse for wear, but surprisingly well-adjusted. Darcy adored Bucky like a big brother. He was even sneakier and more naughty than Steve.

“He’s gonna skip tonight,” Steve said, “just a little worried about the noise and stuff.”

“Oh, hold on, Jane can keep him company,” Darcy said, getting her phone.

 

Jane always wanted an excuse to skip these parties anyhow. She’d told Tony something about needing to do observations of Venus that Darcy was pretty sure was really something from her horoscope. They had a thing where they read each other’s everyday in the lab in funny voices. They were trying to rope Bruce in.

 

***

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** Will you keep an eye on Bucky tonight? He’s skipping the Starknado, too.

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** Absolutely. Think he’d like to do astro readings with me on the roof?

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** He’ll probably love it. He told me the other night that he went to some Science! Expo that Tony’s dad did before he shipped out? With all these crazy exhibits?

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** Awwwwwwwwww

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** Is it wrong that I’m smitten with an Soviet ex-murderbot? Every time he hangs around the lab, I want to put him in a Snuggie and make him cocoa.

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** I know. He’s the cutest. Thor’s gonna get jealous. It’s your crush on Tamal from _GBBO_ all over again.

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** He asks such good questions, too!

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** When Steve took you to lunch yesterday, he volunteered to sort my notes for me. He even found the Post-It ones I was sitting on by accident.

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** Is my job in jeopardy?

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** No!

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** Tell me the truth.

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** Really, it’s not. I could hire both of you, actually. Tony has some stupidly amazing hiring budget. I haven’t used it after we had that SHIELDRA intern the first week.

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** My dear Lilly McTaser got that sneaky b.

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** She didn’t even see it coming. Tony replayed that footage for Accounts Receivable last week. They loved it. You’re getting as popular as Nat, in terms of reputation for badassery.

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** Really? Cool.

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** Donna in AR also told me that they’re less afraid you’ll kill them with Widow’s Bites, so there’s that.

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** She offered to teach me to use those. Steve is very gung-ho about Nat teaching me self-defense in case of future SHIELDRA incursions into the new facility.

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** Bucky could technically double as lab security?

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** Excellent point, my Platonic Significant Other.

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** I would have enjoyed siccing him on SHIELDRA Grant in Norway.

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** Also, if he’s here, maybe I can convince Steve I only need the fun training?

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** I’m a little afraid he’ll make me eat salmon and broccoli without butter otherwise.

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** Why would he do that?

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** Remember the first day I met him and I guessed he was Tony’s personal trainer?

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** LOL **.** Yeah?

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** It turns out he does have a digital subscription to _Men’s Fitness._ Tony got it for him as a joke after I said that.

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** Clint told me. He “borrows” Steve’s tablet whenever they have an issue with something about biceps on the cover.

 **Please Wait, Sarcasm Loading:** I have to go now. I think Steve is actually starting to fret that being this late is rude?

 **Let’s Get Astro-Physical:** That’s so cute. I’ll get Bucky, tell Steve not to worry! [hugs emoji]

***

“This band is nice,” Steve said, as he swung her into his arms. “Never knew “You Are My Sunshine” could sound this good.”

“They’re called the Leftover Cuties, sugar,” Darcy said. “I talked Tony out of a White Snake cover band.”

“Bless you. Sugar?” Steve asked curiously. He smelled all clean and fresh. 4711 cologne, she’d found out. They still made it.

“Uh-huh. I thought that if you get doll for me, I’d start with the culinary arts for you. Sugar, honey, gumdrop. How do you feel about being my puddin,’ if sugar’s not sweet enough?” she asked. 

He laughed so hard he had to stop dancing for a minute.

  
 


	2. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (Leftover Cuties)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Party crashers

Darcy and Steve were dancing slowly to Leftover Cuties’ cover of “Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," when someone tapped her on the shoulder. “I might need to cut in, honey,” a gruff male voice said. “Need to have a word with the Captain about a mutual friend.” Darcy turned her head and looked up. A man--with exceptionally large sideburns and a cigar in his mouth--grinned wickedly at her.

“Sorry, General Eustace P. Sideburns, his dance card’s all mine tonight,” she sassed. "Those soup strainers went out in 1867 and you're interrupting my favorite Dylan cover." The man barked a laugh at her, looking oddly pleased.

“Logan,” Steve said politely, “how can I help you?” At Darcy’s perplexed face, he said, “Logan and I served together during the war.”

“For him it was _the_ war,” Logan said, grinning, “it was more like my third one. He’s just a young fella, really.” He winked at her and she stared.

“You’re older than _Steve_?” she asked.

“You bet your sweet ass I am, baby girl.” He gave her body an appraising, appreciative look. 

“Hey, now,” Steve said. “Language. And I see how you’re looking at my girl.”

Logan put his hands up and grinned more ferally. “A man has eyes, Cap,” he said. “I’m here about Barnes. There’s a situation. Xavier sent me. The new king of Wakanda might have the idea that your buddy murdered his father this afternoon in Berlin.”

"In Berlin? Bucky's been here for a week," Steve said. 

"I'd say he's pretty lucky then," Logan said. Then he eyed Darcy again and grinned at Steve. "But not as lucky as you, Puddin."

 

***  
****

**Two Time People’s Sexiest Man Alive (1994, 2007):** Who’s Mr. Muttonchops crashing my shindig?

 **Iowa Farm Boy:** He has a weird glint in his eye. Kinda reminds me of a raccoon I had to shoot once when I was a kid.

 **Two Time People’s Sexiest Man Alive (1994, 2007):** You and I had very different childhoods.

 **Iowa Farm Boy:** Yeah, you were probably in college when I shot Foamy. He did test positive for rabies.

 **Comrade, I Have Two Eggs:** That is Logan. You may know him as Wolverine. I believe he knows Steve and Yasha.

 **Two Time People’s Sexiest Man Alive (1994, 2007):** Why didn’t you just call Animal Control?

 **Two Time People’s Sexiest Man Alive (1994, 2007):** One of Xavier’s guys?

 **Comrade, I Have Two Eggs:** Indeed.

 **Iowa Farm Boy:** He was gonna bite my dog. Couldn’t let my dog get rabies. He’d saved my life once. Chased off a bear. Saved me from wild hogs, too.

 **Two Time People’s Sexiest Man Alive (1994, 2007):** Holy shit.

 **Comrade, I Have Two Eggs:** You know that he is trolling you, correct? That is the plot of the film _Old Yeller._

 **Iowa Farm Boy:** I’m still mad about that movie.

 **Comrade, I Have Two Eggs:** It is lucky for your feelings that the culture has shifted and now Americans are so pet-friendly that the dog never dies in disaster movies.

 **Iowa Farm Boy:** Damn straight. Hey, Tony, can I?

 **Two Time People’s Sexiest Man Alive (1994, 2007):** No. No dog, Clint.

 **Comrade, I Have Two Eggs:** Must we have this argument again?

 

***

Up on the roof, Jane and Bucky had been talking about the stars. “Would you like to help out in the lab?” Jane asked. “No pressure. You can say no. But I can pay you a nice salary.”

“I think I’d like that,” Bucky said softly. “The work, I mean. A salary’d be nice, too.”

“Darcy’s working on your back pay situation,” Jane told him, smiling.

“What?” he asked.

“Steve was eligible for seventy years of service back pay, so she’s trying to get them to give you a similar deal as a POW. She’s sent 89 emails and they’ve already moved her to the two-star generals at the Pentagon,” Jane said, laughing. “She thinks it’ll be easier than getting her iPod back from SHIELD.”

“I can’t believe she’d do that for me,” Bucky said, smiling gently.

“Oh, she enjoys annoying powerful people, you’re doing her the favor,” Jane said. “This General Silensky has sent her several frosty emails.”

“Silensky?” Bucky asked. “He can’t still be alive, can he? Steve and I served under a General Silensky. Real asshole. He’d be a hundred and fifty by now.”

  
Jane pulled out her phone. A few minutes later, Bucky spoke again. “Well, I’ll be damned, it’s his grandson. And the old man never broke two stars, either. I wonder if Darcy will be able to manage it with this guy in charge,” he said.

“Why?” Jane asked.

“Because his grandpa hated my guts,” Bucky said, laughing. “I might have mooned the crowd while he was giving a speech once. But only after he’d been talking for an hour.”

 

Then he told Jane some more of his war pranks. He was in the middle of one about using decoys on the Germans, when a shadow appeared at the edge of the roofline behind them. Neither one noticed the glinting vibranium on the man’s suit.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos. Y'all are super!


	3. The Piano Has Been Drinking Not Me (Dan Hicks and the Hot Licks)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoops.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I own nothing. Thanks for the lovely comments and kudos! Y'all are great.

Thankfully, Logan and Steve and Tony all headed up to the roof to get Bucky. When they opened the door, they found him scratching his head with his metal arm. He was looking down at an unconscious T’Challa quizzically. 

“Hey, guys,” he said. “Do you know who this cat guy is?”

“According to Charles Xavier, that would be the new king of Wakanda,” Logan said wryly.

“He thinks you killed his dad,” Tony supplied helpfully.

“Oh, Buck,” Steve sighed. “Please tell me he’s not seriously hurt?”

“It’s not his fault. I sort of tased him while he was going after Bucky,” Jane said apologetically. “These new Stark tasers react powerfully with vibranium.”

“Really pretty sparks,” Bucky said. “Like fireworks or the lights at Coney Island, Steve.”

 

Darcy stuck her head through the door; she’d been refilling her drink when the guys couldn’t get Bucky via his comms and ran upstairs. “What did I miss?” she said brightly. “Oooh, is that, like, Cat-Dude? Is he new? There’s some new guy in Hell’s Kitchen now.”

“Prince Pussycat is the King of Wakanda,” Logan said, winking at her.

“Oooh,” Darcy said. 

“My bad,” Jane told her. “The new taser.”

“Whoops,” Darcy said.

 

When King T’Challa woke up downstairs and they explained that Bucky had been in New York the entire time, he was very gracious. Darcy thought he seemed exceptionally cool. Jane got all flustered apologizing to him and he just smiled at her and asked her about her work. It turned out his little sister was a Wakandan scientist and had mentioned Jane’s work before.

 

“She will be delighted to discover that you were the one who tased me,” he said politely. “And you have discovered a new and interesting application for vibranium as well.” After they discussed who might be framing Bucky Barnes for the murder of King T’Chaka, T’Challa even offered to help Bucky with unlocking his HYDRA coding. “This way, you will not have to use the tasers,” the King said politely; Jane had explained that they were made in case of an emergency with Bucky. Blows and shocks seemed to break his HYDRA coding.

 

Clint popped down through a vent. “Nat says the scientific term for that is cognitive recalibration,” he said cheerfully. “I’m Hawkeye. Clint Barton.”

“Oh really?” T’Challa said, nodding. “I am T’Challa.”

“She had to do it with me some,” Clint said. “I’m okay now though.”

T’Challa looked at Clint for a long moment and then up at the vent. “How many times?” the king asked.

  
  


***

**Iowa Farm Boy:** So, is he gonna be charged with treason or what?

**Not That Kind of Doctor:** Really? Is there some sort of rule when a royal attacks you in a catsuit?

**Two Time People’s Sexiest Man Alive (1994, 2007):** Princess Margaret attacked my dad in a bodysuit once.

**Comrade, I Have Two Eggs:** He is trolling you. 

**Two Time People’s Sexiest Man Alive (1994, 2007):** No, this was in Mustique in the 70s. It got wild. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> T'Challa is just the coolest guy, right? Jane is so embarrassed right now.


	4. My Baby Just Cares For Me (Indigo Swing)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back for a brief stop in this AU! I own nothing!

“So, we’re going to Wakanda?” Darcy said to Steve.

“We might be soon,” Steve said. “We’ll need to work out some logistics. King T’Challa’s a very generous, understanding guy, though.” For Steve, that was sincere praise.

“You might be going to Wakanda, sweetheart, but I’ve got people to do and places to see,” Logan said slyly. He winked at Jane and went to leave after a nod at Steve and then Bucky. “You know where to find me if you need any help,” he said to them.

“You know,” Darcy said, when he was out of earshot, “he’s surprisingly sexy for a man who dresses like he’s in costume as Columbo.”

“Oooh, that’s who it is,” Jane said. “I’m been trying to figure it out all night. I was thinking Inspector Gadget.”

“Excuse me, Columbo stole my look,” Logan called from the doorway where he was grinning ferally at Tony. He’d heard her.

“I’m so busted,” Darcy said. “Come to Wakanda with us!” she called. She had a feeling that going anyplace with Logan would be highly amusing.

“Don’t tease me, sweetheart,” Logan said, before actually departing.

“Have I lost you to Wolverine?” Steve said playfully. He wrapped his arms around her waist and smelled Darcy’s hair. He was always doing that. For some reason, he really liked that green apple scent in all the shampoos now. Darcy found that perplexing--it was kind of a boring scent to her--but Steve insisted that green apple hadn’t been a scent in his day and he found it wonderful. That was charming.

“Nope,” Darcy said. “You’re still my favorite old dude.”

 

“Could I perhaps see your latest experiment?” King T’Challa asked, leaving Clint and Natasha to walk over to Jane.

“Of course,” Jane said, “follow me.” She felt badly enough about tasing him. Thor trotted happily behind them, still eating party hors d’oeuvres.

“Wolfman give anybody else the willies?” Tony asked suddenly.

“Tony,” Steve said, sighing, “don’t be rude about Logan. He helped us avoid a major catastrophe tonight.” Clint laughed.

“Capiscle,” Tony said, “did you just do a pun?”

“Punk does puns sometime,” Bucky said, “but I think that was on accident.”

“Yeah,” Steve said. Darcy stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the chin. He grinned down at her. “You wanna sneak out of here?” Steve asked quietly.

“Uh-huh,” Darcy said.

 

***

 

They went to Darcy’s apartment and proceeded to make out on the couch. “That was a fun party, despite the tasing,” Steve said. “You know, I used to hate those.”

“You want to keep the party going in my bedroom?” Darcy asked, a bit cheekily.

“Yeah,” Steve said. “I would.” He gave her a sexy grin, scooped her up, and finally carried her over the threshold of her bedroom door.

“Hey, Steve?” Darcy said, when he deposited her gently on the bed.

“Yes, honey?” He was beaming, even in the dim light from her bedroom lamp.

“How do I get you out of that uniform?” Darcy said. “I wouldn’t want to do any damage to official US Army property.” She ran the tips of her fingers over those broad shoulders.

“Oh, I can show you,” Steve said. He smiled. “It’s, uh, highly precise and requires a real attention to detail.”

“Hmmm,” Darcy said. “I think I can be a serious student of Army rules and regulations, just this once. Maybe. What does the section on dress ties say?”

“Well, if I recall correctly, there are some rules about the right kind of knot, doll,” Steve said dryly. He began to recite instructions with a gleam in his eye.

 

It turned out Steve’s eidetic memory could do some very interesting things with regulations about ties and knots.

 

***

 

The next day, Darcy, Jane, and Bruce worked in the labs while Steve, T’Challa, Tony and the rest of the Avengers discussed when and how Bucky could go to Wakanda. “What’s the plan for tonight’s movie?” Darcy asked. She was drawing little cartoon hearts and cups of coffee with steam on the day’s to-do list.

“I think Tony wants to start season three of _Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries,_ ” Jane said.

“Finally! Thank God, he’s been hoarding it until they announced the movie Kickstarter,” Darcy said. “You know, he said something to me about getting us on the set? I’m afraid he’ll actually do it.”

“And then fangirl at Essie Davis and Nathan Page? I’d almost like to see Tony having a celebrity moment, he’s usually so jaded,” Jane said.

“I would love to get a photo of Steve with Essie Davis, though,” Darcy said. “Imagine how cute he would look in 1920s three-piece suits?” She sighed dreamily.

 

Bucky came wandering into the lab. “What’s that, doll?” he said.

“She’s lusting over the idea of Steve in old suits,” Jane said.

“Tattle-tale!” Darcy said, laughing. “It’s my new thing, Buck.”

“For a while she was photoshopping him into all of Marlon Brando and James Dean’s 1950s outfits,” Jane supplied.

“Can I see that?” Bucky said, smiling delightedly.

“Steve’s blue jacket is just Dean’s _East of Eden_ jacket in a different color,” Darcy mused, pulling her up her StarkServer photo album collection. “See? I’ll do a side by side.”

“Now, who was James Dean again?” Bucky asked.

“You, only slightly younger,” Jane said, almost too quickly. Darcy started to laugh.

“I declare a movie night!” she yelled. ”All in favor?”

“Aye,” Bucky said gently.

“Aye!” Jane said.

“Aye?” Tony said, stepping into the lab. “What am I ayeing? Is it dirty? Please let it be dirty?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm convinced that Stevie's blue jacket.....  
> 
> 
> ....is a sly nod to James Dean:  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> Every chapter is a 'song title (band name)' to set a mood.


End file.
